The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has recently introduced an advanced online course aimed at protecting minors from abuse, as part of their efforts to leverage technology to ensure children’s safety in schools. The Executive Secretary of the Lagos DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, described the course as instrumental in enhancing the tenets of child protection and safeguarding.
The advanced online course, developed in partnership with the Office of Education Quality Assurance, is specially curated for school professionals, including teachers, guidance counselors, school social workers, and designated safeguarding and Child Protection Officers. The course comprises five modules that cover topics such as understanding the rudiments of child protection and safeguarding, identifying and preventing child abuse, safe steps for disciplinary measures, reporting procedures for safeguarding, and child protection policy.
The online course follows the successful introduction of the “Online Course for Beginners” in 2020, which had over 13,000 participants. Speaking through the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Joke Ladenegan Oginni, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi highlighted the benefits of the course, stating that “a higher level of educational prospects is derivable with the 2nd phase of the online modules.”
Upon the completion of the online course, teachers would undertake a test, and if successful, a certificate would be generated and forwarded via email. The Director-General of the Office of Education Quality Assurance, Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, commended the initiative, adding that through education, the state would ensure that continuous capacity building is made available for all and sundry.
The Lagos ministry has been strengthening the quality control and regulation of public and private schools through monitoring and evaluation and the training of educators on globally acceptable best practices. This latest initiative aligns with the agency’s commitment to ensuring the security and safety of children in the state.
In conclusion, the introduction of the advanced online course is a commendable step in the right direction, and we hope that it becomes more accessible to all professionals who work in child-centered institutions, thereby improving the quality of education in the state.
